Self-alining side bearing



` 1. F. oCoNNonv.

SELF ALINING SIDE BEARING.

UNITED sTA'rus rruNi OFFICE.

JOHN F. OCONNOR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 WILLIAM H. MINER, OF

CI-IAZY, NEW YORK.

SELF-ALINING SIDE BEARING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

Application filed September 25, 1919. Serial No. 326,126.

To all 'whom t may concer/a:

Be it known that I, Jol-1N F. OCoNNoR,a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Self-Alining Side Bearings, of which the following is a full,

cleaig'concise, andeXact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiication.

This invention relates to improvements in self-alining side bearings.l

As is well known, in the art of side bearings for railway cars it is desirable to provide means permitting the adjustment or alinement of the anti-friction element so as to at all times insure line contacts between the anti-friction element and the bearing surfaces carriedby the body and truck bol sters. The angular relation of these bearing surfaces of the bodyand truck holsters varies during service, the variation being caused sometimes by wearingV of the parts and at other times by distortion of the bolsters. Heretofore, adjustment oi' alinement of the character above indicated has been accomplished by mounting the anti-friction element in a cradle or on a corresponding additional element, the cradle or said element being rockably mounted, or pivotally mounted, .to permit the adjustment necessary, the cradle or other `anti-friction ele.

ment carrying member is, in turn,'suitably mounted within or on a base casting or other retaining member directly secured `to theY bolster, j

The object of my invention is torpi'ovide a side bearing which is automatically ad! justable or self-alining to accommodate itself to variations in the angles between thev bearing surfaces ofthe body and truck bolsters of railway cars, which side bearing eliminates the use of a cradle or equivalent' member heretofore found necessary.`

More specifical ly,the obiect ofmy inven! In the drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure'l is a verticalV sectional view taken parallel to the center sill of a railway car through the ends of the body and truck holsters showing my improvements in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the improved anti.- friction element. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the anti-friction element. And Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line d-Ll of Fig. 3.

VIn said drawing, 10 indicates the under side of a body bolster of a railway car and l1 the upper side of an opposed truck bolster, it being understood that thebolsters are pivotally connected at their centers by a king pin or otherwise in a well-known manner. I have shown my improved bearing as applied to the truck bolster, and, as shown, the bearing comprises, broadly, two elements, a housingror retaining or base cast-A ing A. and an anti-friction element proper B.

The housing A, as shown, is provided with spaced parallel side walls 12-12, curved end walls 113-13, a bottom bearing wall '11iand perforated corner lugs l5 by whichit is riveted or otherwise secured to the truck bolster. 'Ihe side walls may be `cut away, as indicated-at 16, to permit dirt and other foreign matter being washed out. The anti-friction element B, as shown, comprises'two parts or sections designated B1 and B2. The parts B1 and'B2 are pivotally connected in the manner hereinafter described by a rivet 17, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4.

` The element B, considered as an entirety, is of substantially triangular' formation in end elevation, the sides of the triangle being formed by curved surfaces.V As shown, the elementB has a bottom curved bearing surface 18 adapted to roll along the bottom wall 1d of the housing A nand an upper concentric curved bearing surface 19 of shorter radius, the bearing surface 19 being adapted to coperate with the adjacent bearing surface on the body bolster 10. The other surfaces of the anti-friction element B are also formed in sets of curved concentric bearing surfaces, as will be understood. W'ith this construction, it is evident that the anti- `friction element is selfcentering under the influence of gravity `in the manner of a rocker.V To prevent bodily displacement or shifting of the element B with respect to the housing A, I preferably provide a plurality of teeth 20 in the bottom of the housing A, which cooperate Vwith corresponding recesses 2l in the lower part of the element Bthe teeth and recesses obviously maintaining a definite relation between the element B and the housing.

As hereinbefore stated, the sections B1V and B2 are pivotally connected by the rivetV the lower section B2 anda pair of depending arms 23-*23 on the upper section'Bl which i' straddle the post 22. Perforaftions are the adjacent surfaces 24 and 25 of the secfor-med in the post andarms to accommodate the rivet 17, as clearly indicated, and a small amount of clearance is left between the parts to provide for easy relative adjust-v ment.

Referring to Fig.V '3, it will be noted'that tions B1 and B2, respectively, are Vbeveled away from the rivet 17 so that the sections B1 and'B2 are relatively adjustable about the axis of the rivet 17 within the limits desired. In this way, it is evident that the line of bearing contact between the lower section B2 and its corresponding bearing on the truck bolster and the line of bearing contact between the upper surface of the section B1 and its opposed bearing surface of the body bolster can always be obtained, even though the angle changes, so long as the change is within the limi-ts provided for by the adjustments between sections B1 and B2.

In the preceding description, it is evident that I have entirely eliminated the usual `cradle yor roclrerifound in side bearings of the adjustable or alining type, thereby reducing first cost and also the costo-f maintenance, and, in addition, I have provided a Vself-alining side bearing which automatically returns to its central normal position aftereach actuation under the influence of gravity and without the iaid of any extraneous parts-such as springs or the like.

I claim.:

l. In fa side bearing, the combination with '60 a retaining member adapted to'be secured to a bolster, of an fanti-friction element arranged to roll bodily back and lforth therein, said anti-friction element having one sectionthereof relatively adjustable to another section thereof Yabout an axis extending at Y right angles to the line of bodily movement of said element, each of said sections having a bearing surface.

2. In an anti-friction bearing adapted to be applied betweenrbody and truck bolsters of a railway car, the combination with a retaining memberadapted to be secured to one of said holsters, of an anti-friction element arranged to roll bodily back and forth within said member, said anti-friction element comprising a plurality of sections, said sections being relatively adjustable for a limited amount to thereby accommodate the bearing surfaces of said element to vary-V inof angles between the bearing surfaces of thi; holsters.

3. In a side bearing, the combination with a retaining member adapted to be secured to a bolster, of a gravity self-'centering 'antifriction element of rocker form associated with said retaining member, said anti-friction element comprising Van upper :and a lower section, the sections being relatively adjustable independently of the retaining member about an axis extending at Vright angies tothe axis of rolling movement of said rocker element.

4. In side bearing for railway cars, the combination with ahousing adapted to be secured to a bolsteigvof a sectional, self-alining, gravity self-centering anti-friction element adapted to roll bodily and disposed within said housing, and cooperating means on said element and housing for maintaining a definite relation between said element and housing and to prevent bodily 'shifting of the element with respect to the housing.

As an article of manufacture, an'antifriction elem-ent adapted for use in side bearings, saidelement having concentric curved upper and lower bearing surfaces adapting prised of an upper section and a lowersection relatively adjustable about an axis extending'- at right angles to the axis of the bearing surfaces.

6. As an articleof manufacture, a rocker adapted for use in a side bearing, said vrocker having a curved lower bearing surface and 'anupper curved bearing surface, the rocker being weighted so as to be selfreturning on said lowerbearing surface, said upper and lower bearing surfaces being formed on separate'sections'of the rocker, the sections being relatively adjustable to Y permit varia-tions of the angular relation of 'the upper andV lower bearing surfaces.

7.' As an article of manufacture, an antifriction rocker adapted for side bearings,

said rocker consisting of two sections pivotally connected, 'said lsections having bearing surfaces extending Tat right angles to the axis fof the pivotal connection, the rocker, as

an entirety, being of substantially triangular outline in end elevation and self-returning under the influence of gravity.

8. In a side bearing for railway oars, the Combination with a hollow base Casting adapted to be seored to a truck bolster, said base casting having side walls, end walls and a bottom bearing wall, of an anti-friction rocker disposed within said base casting, said rocker being of substantially triangular form in end elevation, the upper and lower bearing surfaces of the rocker being concentric but of different radii, said rocker being formed in two sections pivotally connected about an axis extending at right angles to the axis of the rocker as an entirety, and cooperating means on the lower section of the rocker and the base casting arranged to prevent bodily shifting of the rocker with respect to the base casting.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 8th day of Sept., 1919.

JOHN F. OCONNOR. 

